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Re: If you could design a $300 homecomputer today, what would you choose?



On Sat, 14 Jul 2001 22:25:47 -0700, Stephan Schaem wrote:

>
> "T.J.T van Kooten" <thomas@-nospam-worldonline.nl> wrote in message
> news:9ikva3$ple$1@nereid.worldonline.nl...
>> For the sake of argument let's suppose you could design a next generation
>> $300 homecomputer. The goal is to make a userfriendly machine for general
>> use and for hobbyists. How would such a system look?
>>
>> CPU? (P.S Intel and AMD are out, far too expensive and powerhungry for this
>> type of thing, you should be looking at the $20-35 level)
>
> I, not a company or else, can by a 700mhz AMD processor for 24$.
> That doesn't seem 'far too expensive' to me. Those processor rocks!
>
>> As OS? (Linux is a dead giveaway, but there also other OS's out there)
>
> Linux, why not. .. oh yea. You mentioned userfriendly. so thats a nono.

Anyone who can use a command line as per the Apple II shouldn't find adapting
to Linux very difficult. It is only GUI users (like Windoze) who find things
"unfriendly".

>
>> Build in programming language? (please choose anything but Basic!)
>
> Built in?  Are you think stuff like in the 70's? Or you really want to put
> a C++ compiler in rom?!?!?
>
>> Amount of memory? (RAM and ROM)
>
> 256meg RAM. 8K EPROM
>
>> Graphic and Sound?
>
> Geforce2
>
>> Network capabilities? (internet capable)
>
> 100BT
>
>> Plug in capabilities (remember you're making it as cheap as possible so
>> modems, CD-Roms, HD's are all extras)
>
> CDRW
>
>> Video (TV? or Monitor?)
>
> Video as option.
>
>>
>>
>> Remember that the RETAIL price should be $300, so think in wholesale prices.
>> The real costs should below $200 or even below the $150 level. You may
>> presume that a million units would be manufactured so take volume discounts
>> for components into account
>
> Take a look at the XBox.
>
>>
>> Let's see what sort of systems people come up with.
>
> Xbox.
>
> Stephan

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